High Nobility

600 years ago six legendary mages fought against the corrupted peers of their magical order, and worked together to save Crowstead from the oncoming Counter-Stroke. Against all odds, they stemmed the tide of Evil which threatened The Valley of Crowstead and created a massive invisible magical barrier which continues to protect humanity and the isolated Dwarves from the fell energies and spirits that have taken over much of Gaia. After the barrier was finished each mage made a solemn pledge to preserve his/her bloodline and pass on their knowledge so that humanity may be eternally protected.

Their status as heroes and the importance placed upon their descendants allowed their families to gather great influence and wealth eventually creating a feudal society. Each of these families continues to wield great authority in Crowstead.

Statues, shrines, and icons of the Six Primogenitors dot the Old City and even are occasionally seen in the New City. All six noble houses maintain a shrine dedicated to their Primogenitor. Many legends concerning the Six Mages continue to be told and sung amongst the people of Crowstead, few of them bear any basis in fact.

Genetics and Superstitions
The Corpore Sano has played a major role as matchmaker for the High Nobility. However, hundreds of years of Eugenics practices has created unique genetic problems and kinks in each house. House Nocturne is noted for producing the most gifted children and the strongest ones. They attribute this to their overall rejection of the matching system ran by the Corpore Sano. House Du Monde has been doubly blighted by genetic issues, only females born in the bloodline exhibit the gifted trait for fire magic, and no child of House Du Monde has been born female for over 200 years. As a result, they have seemingly lost much of the knowledge of their Primogenitor, Zephiya.

It is considered taboo for the High Nobility to intermarry and all of the Houses, including Nocturne, heavily frown upon this practice. According to tradition it is important to limit the number of magic users in Crowstead in order to make them easier to stop should any become corrupted or possessed like what occurred on the Eve of the Magical Apocalypse.

Church of the Scions
A large number of nobles are members of the Church of the Scions, which holds that the spirit energy of the Six Primogenitors keeps the Magical Barrier that protects Crowstead strong. Church doctrine states the gifted abilities of each house are a blessing of the Primogenitors, and some even believe the gifted members of each house bears a piece (or all) of the reincarnated soul of that House‘s Primogenitor.

New Primogenitor House
King Corvus has named a new house as bearing the rank of Primogenitor. House Morel of Greymist. It is rumored that the Morels exhibit a magical trait in their unusual affinity for unusual animals.